Roses Born of Dust: Banishment
by Raptor of Sanghelios
Summary: A girl amongst the wrong crowd has second thoughts. A twisted discovery leads the Sangheili Federation to Remnant. And the crew of a long lost warship battle their most dangerous adversary yet. All are connected. But how? And more importantly, why? Rated M for Blood, Language, Violence, and Gore. Side Story to TallYapflip's Roses Born of Dust. First Book in the Arcadian Chronicles.
1. Sneak Peek

**It's been a long, long, long while since I last updated. Needless to say, a combination of laziness, writer's bloc, work, personal problems, and my fucking computer going to absolute shit and losing all (and I mean ALL) of my work has pissed me off to no end. Because of that, RWBY: Spartan of Remnant and Star Wars: The Promethean Storm are on indefinite hiatus.**

 **An "I'm sorry" is not going to cut it this time. So, as an apology, here's a sneak peak of what I've been working on lately, just to get you interested.**

* * *

 _"Because of your efforts, Beacon has fallen...and Haven will be next."_

 _"Yes. Run...little Demons!"_

 _"Where you see half a crew, Isabel...I see family..."_

 _"Bring them to their knees!"_

 _"I'm not a soldier; I'm a monster. Like you."_

 _"And where you see one old ship..."_

 _"HAMMER TIME!"_

 _"White Fang, Keepers, and Grimm attacking the city! Need reinforcements!"_

 _"I see home..."_

 _"Warriors, prepare for combat!"_

 _"Fire-team Torrent...let's roll!"_

 _"And THAT is always worth fighting for!"_

 _"Hunt them down!"_

 ** _"I AM A MONUMENT...TO ALL YOUR SINS"_**

* * *

 **Hope that gets you excited for what's to come. In order to get a sense of what exactly is going on, check out Roses Born of Dust by TallYapFlip. I've asked him if I could write a side story and he said yes. Go check it out, favorite and follow it, review it, then come back to this one and do the same things. I plan to have the Prologue out soon, but no promises. For now, accept this sneak peak of Roses Born of Dust: Banishment as my apology to you all.**

 **Until then, Raptor out!**


	2. Chapter1-Rising Threats Part I (Updated)

_**Important: Read Update 10/2/2017 in the Author's Note at the end of the chapter.**_

* * *

Chapter 1 - Rising Threats Part I

A month. An entire month, and nothing was heard. No reports, no messages, no calls of distress...nothing. Nothing except the report from a month ago, a report about a recent development and further study being needed.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem for Decimus. If it had been anyone else among the Jiralhanae, he would've labeled it off as either defection to the enemy, abandonment to the cause, or death by incompetence. The latter happening more times than the other two combined, usually by either his hand or his Chieftain's.

But the brothers were different. They had proven themselves to be loyal to the cause, and their brilliant minds were to be admired. They were intelligent, cunning, and most of all, ruthless. They showed outstanding potential and promise.

But their reports were a month overdue, and Decimus was starting to get worried. He had to notify his Chieftain of this.

"Let me know if anything changes. I must inform the Chieftain," Decimus stated to the Sangheili Shipmaster.

"Yes, Commander!" Let 'Volir said as Decimus made his way out of the _Enduring Conviction_ 's bridge and towards his leader's personal quarters.

* * *

 _"The station is secure, Chieftain. All human forces have been eradicated as you requested."_

"And the Construct? What of her status?"

 _"Still elusive, but it's only a matter of time before she is found and captured."_

"Continue your search, Captain. I will be down shortly to oversee the progress."

 _"Yes, Chieftain!"_

With that, the comms went off, and Atriox was left alone in his quarters once more. It had been little more than two days since they had arrived at the massive installation they currently orbited. To think that this place, this Ark, is responsible for creating the most destructive weapon in the galaxy was astonishing...and filled his being with hate!

 _Hmmph!_ he thought. _Seems the blasted Prophets were right about one thing. The Halos are indeed real._

It had been 132 years since Atriox and his followers had rebelled against the Old Covenant. The Jiralhanae Warlord had never believed in the "Great Journey" and the promise of the so-called "Sacred Rings", not since the Prophets had decided to use his clan as expendable muscle. Throughout the first six years of the Human-Covenant War, they sent them to their deaths until none was left but him. As the years went on, his hatred grew to enormous levels. Until it, and his legend, could no longer be contained. When they tried to banish Atriox, it workded...but not in the way the Covenant had intended.

He still bared the scars of that fateful day. Dragging his Gravity Hammer towards his commander, the Executioner, before discarding it like a piece of spoiled Thorn Beast. His anger and resolve rising as the Sangheili reared his blood-red Energy Sword back, preparing to strike him down. But Atriox's hate had grown impossible to conceal at that point. He caught the sword arm in his fist, the weapon cutting into his hand. He drew himself to his full height, ripped the weapon from the Sangheili's grasp, and stabbed him through his two hearts. He then grasped the dying commander's helmet and yanked it off, letting the corpse drop to the cold hard ground. As the other Sangheili Blademasters drew their swords, the Chieftain Warlord stared menacingly and defiantly back...as the other Jiralhanae gathered there ambushed and killed them.

From that point on, Atriox and the Banished had been born.

Throughout the rest of the war, the Covenat were forced to fight on two fronts. They would've wiped out Humanity were it not for Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and his followers siding with them. But the Banished? They never came close.

In the years that followed, while the UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios dealt with their own problems, be that either Insurrectionists, pirates, remnant Covenant factions, or the remaining isolated pockets of Flood infestations, the Banished themselves kept to the shadows as much as possible, allocating most (if not all) of the Old Covenant's power for their own. Ships ranging from _CPV_ -class Heavy Destroyers to _ORS_ -class Heavy Cruisers were captured and added to their expanding naval fleet, while outdated yet effective weapons like Type-51 Carbines and Type-31 Needle Rifles were adopted into the Banished's arsenel. Even vehicles from Type-25 Bruite Choppers to Type-47B Deuteros Scarabs were repurposed and given stronger armor and better weapons. With this many resources, the Banished were ready to take the fight to the UNSC and their allies.

That is, until the Created Crisis began.

Atriox had heard Cortana's message, her "invitation" to all species, even his own, to join her Created and be "protected" under her watch. For as she claimed, "the Mantle of Responsibility shelters all, but only the Created are its masters."

Like the UNSC and the Swords, the Banished had flat-out refused. When new arrivals, Cortana's Prometheans, attempted to use force, they retaliated brutally. **(AN: Yes, pun intended.)** Much like the Old Covenant, the Created were forced to fight a two-front war. In the end, thanks in part to both the Arbiter and the Demon, the Created were defeated and Cortana was destroyed.

While she may have been close to defeating the Humans and Sangheili, Cortana had not even come close to defeating the Banished. Like the Prophets, she had underestimated them. Even after losing half of his forces, Atriox had once again proved he would not bow to anyone.

Again, after the Created Crisis and the formation of the Sangheili Federation, the Banished kept to the shadows to rebuild their forces, allocating more resources to their cause. By 2679, over a century after the end of the Great War, Atriox had amassed an enormous fleet, rivaling that of the Old Covenant. He had them and his army spread throughout the galaxy, with agents infiltrated among the ranks of the Federation and the other remnant Covenant factions.

Now it was 2682, and Atriox was ready to strike at every single faction, be it Covenant or otherwise. But, once again, a wrench was thrown into his plans, that being the Ark which his _CAS_ -class Assault Carrier _Enduring Conviction_ now currently orbited.

Saying that he had been angry would be putting it mildly. He had been downright furious. Furious that this place even existed. That the one symbol of the belief that he despised was proverbally staring at him in the face. Every fiber of his being had told him to destroy it, to burn it's surface until it was nothing but glass, and to dismantle it until it was nothing but an expanding debris field.

But the more rational part of his brain had stopped him and forced him to think. He could destroy the Ark...or he could use it. More specifically, the Ark's vast technology. He could bolster his forces even more and significantly upgrade his ever-growing arsenal. The Forge of the Halos could become the Banished's home base, a central hub for their operations all across the galaxy. The more Atriox had thought, the more he had grown to like the idea. Soon enough, the Brute Warlord had made his decision and ordered the Ark to be secured.

He had been surprised that the Humans, despite knowing about it's location for more than a century thanks to the portal that connected the Ark to Earth, had such a small presence here. But it mattered little to him. Installation 00 was now theirs, and the task of bolstering his forces would soon begin.

With that, Atriox rose from his makeshift throne and made his way to where he kept his power armor (built from the various armor pieces of his enemies, including an ODST chest plate). As he was donning the armor, the doors to his quarters chimed and opened behind him, revealing his top lieutenant Decimus.

The Brute Warlord didn't even have to turn around to know it was Decimus. The amount of pheromones his lieutenant was giving off did that for him. He was puzzled as to why he was here though, an interest he voiced aloud.

 **AN: Have to pause here for a quick second. The Covenant races have different names for different time measurements compared to the UNSC. Solar cycle = year, cycle = day, and unit = hour. Thought I should point that out so you don't get confused. Anyways, back to the story.**

"You were not supposed to report to me for another unit, Decimus," Atriox rumbled as he put on the last of his armor. "This better be worth my time."

"My apologies, Chieftain," Decimus replied, "but our two agents, Traxus and Taurus, have yet to inform us on their 'recent development'. Their report is thirty-one cycles overdue."

Ah, yes. The so-called Blood Brothers. Another thorn in his side.

When they first joined up, the brothers had provided new weapons and vehicles that they had researched and developed. Time passed and they had proved to be invaluable to the Banished. At first, Atriox had no need to be suspicious.

Then the reports started coming in. Ships failing to arrive at key locations, raids on multiple outposts across the Galaxy, and just recently an attack and ultimate destruction of one of his many fleets. Atriox didn't know why this was happening until one of his captains informed him about the brothers' activities, what they had been doing behind his back. And it angered him to know that they had the audacity to do it.

It was interesting that Decimus hadn't caught on to their transgressions, though it hardly surprised him. Atriox was willing to admit that while his kind had strength, durability, and ferocity, most of them really lacked in brains. They were viewed as mindless "Brutes" and were to be dealt with appropriately. There were exceptions to the rule, however; only a handful of Jiralhanae in the entire Galaxy had both brawns and brains, Atriox himself being one, and the entirety of Lydus's Master Pack being comprised of "Smart Brutes". Well, if Decimus hadn't figured it out yet, now was the time to change that. So, without turning around, the Warlord spoke one simple word:

"No."

"...What?"

Atriox could practically smell the confusion radiating from his lieutenant. Finally, he turned around and faced him, now completely donned in his battle armor.

"No. The Blood Brothers have been a thorn in our sides long enough. As of now, they are no longer aligned with our cause."

"But, Chieftain," Decimus argued, "they have given us many things: weapons, vehicles, ships! They have helped build our forces to rival the Old Covenant! These brothers, they show promise!"

"I agree," Atriox replied, finally approaching the lieutenant, stopping only to grab his custom built Energy Mace _Chainbreaker_ before closing the gap. He continued, "But they have also shown clear disregard for authority, both yours and mine.

"You haven't been receiving the reports, Decimus; I have. Both Traxus and Taurus have been conducting unsanctioned operations within Human and Federation territory, bringing unwanted attention towards us! Now there are joint UNSC and Federation battlegroups hunting our ships and destroying our bases one by one!

"I will not condone this! Pavium and Voridus I can understand, they just want to prove their worth! And Colony? So long as their operations benefit the Banished, I have no qualms with their missions investigating Forerunner sites! But the Blood Brothers have completely undermined my authority behind my back for far too long, and brought more suspicion upon us than I care to have!"

He was only a couple of feet in front of his lieutenant, and from that distance, Atriox could see, and smell, the wave of emotions that crossed Decimus's face. Shock, anger, betrayal...guilt? That last one genuinely surprised the Brute Warlord. And it took another moment of silence before Decimus spoke, saying, "I'm sorry, my Chieftain. If I had known of these atrocities, if I hadn't been blind to their actions-"

Atriox placed his armored hand on Decimus's shoulder, interrupting his lieutenant and replying, "Do not apologize, old friend. I will give this to the Brothers, they managed to hide their tracks well. It was only because of a captain under their command that I managed to discover their transgressions. You are not at fault."

That seemed to bring Decimus around, as he saw a slight grin upon the face of his closest ally and oldest friend. His lieutenant looked back to him and asked, "What are your orders, my Chieftain?"

Atriox smiled and said, "You'll be accompanying me to the surface to oversee one of the many salvage operations I have decided to conduct. I already have a Lich prepared for us in the main hanger."

"As you command," Decimus replied before joining his Chieftain at his side and walking out of Atriox's quarters into one of the many hallways leading to the main hanger.

As they walked, Atriox let his mind wander back to the Blood Brothers. As of now, both Traxus and Taurus were no longer aligned with the Banished, but they were still out there somewhere back in their galaxy. Before their operations were completed here, he will have to find them and deal with them swiftly. But for now, he decided to focus on more important tasks.

Starting with tracking down that elusive Human Construct.

* * *

 _ **Like I've said countless of times in my other stories, I'll only update when I have the time. Which isn't a whole lot, considering I have a new job and my personal life is in the way.**_

 _ **Still, I wanted to get something out to you guys, so I've decided to split this chapter into two parts, with this part introducing Atriox, the Banished, and a new threat by the names of Traxus and Taurus, aka the Blood Brothers. I've only mentioned them at this point, so next part/chapter will introduce them fully, along with a new threat, an old threat, a new alliance, and one of the main characters in this side story, Neo...as well as a surprise character I'm sure none of you will see coming.**_

 _ **Once again, I urge you to check out as well as following, favoriting, and reviewing Roses Born of Dust by TallYapflip, as this is a side story to his work, and then coming back to follow, favorite, and review this story to avoid any confusion as to what's happening here.**_

 _ **Next chapter coming whenever I have the time.**_

 _ **Raptor out!**_

 _ **Update 10/2/2017: Went through Roses Born of Dust and realized TallYapflip changed the dates. Updated this story to match with the new current timeline. Sorry for the inconvenience.**_


	3. Chapter 2 - Rising Threats Part II

_"...I have a simple rule in life: You never trust someone with a cat name, right? If a human goes by 'Felix', or 'Whiskers', or 'Mittens', you should probably just stay away." - Trevor Noah, The Daily Show, 2017_

* * *

Chapter 2 - Rising Threats Part II

 **Seven Months Later**

 **Two Days Before UNSC Camp Vorbeck Attack**

 **February 6, 2683**

 **Remnant, Realm of Salem**

If one were to ask Neo Politan to describe what Salem's Realm looked like, she would look at him or her in the eye and signed the word that best suited the place: Hell.

And hell it was. She was currently looking out the Meeting Hall's window, out into the vastness of desolation. Small pools of black goo dotted the cracked valley, jagged cliffs and rocks jutted out creating deadly canyons and gorges, and many different creatures of Grimm wandered around the entire landscape. Nevermores flew through the permanent night as Remnant's Shattered Moon casted an eerie glow throughout the blood colored sky.

And in the background just below the moon on the horizon, a massive construction project was taking place. The seventeen year old ice cream styled mute didn't know what the structure was, but to her, it looked like it was nearing completion. Whatever it was, she already knew three things about it: it was enormous, it was to be deadly, and above all, it was alien.

More specifically, it was Covenant in origin.

Neo remembered the Covenant Storm's invasion of Remnant two years prior, how they came here searching for something and both Humans and Faunus just happpened to be in the way. She didn't know if they found what they were looking for, mainly because of the UNSC's timely arrival and effectively booting the invaders off the planet. What she _did_ know was that, apparently, even the Storm had traitors in their ranks.

Calling themselves as part of a faction called the Keepers of the One Freedom, these aliens had accidently found Salem's Realm, as well as the enormous structure which had astonishingly been here for more than a century. She wasn't a part of the meeting between Salem and the Keepers, but surprizingly, not only had they come to an alliance, but they also had become devout followers of their new "Precursor Queen", whatever that meant. Since then, the Keepers and their leader had provided them, as well as the White Fang, multiple Covenant weaponry and technology. In return, they devoted their entire faith in worshipping and following the Grimm Queen's leadership, while also for some bizarre reason having permission to acquire and study the Grimm.

While most of them were proud of the so-called Fang-Keeper Alliance, such as that crazy Scorpion Faunus Tyrion, there were others, like Doctor Arthur Watts, that found the agreement unsatisfactory. Actually, if she was being honest herself, she wasn't particularly fond of the idea either.

In fact, Neo had been thinking a lot about where her allegiances lie. After seeing all of the death and destruction that they, including herself, caused to both Beacon Academy and the UNSC, she found herself regretting her crimes and alliances each passing day. It was only after Cinder Fall had turned tail and ran, effectively betraying Salem that she came to a decision: she needed to find out a way out of this mess. But how?

"Okay, that's just downright fucking disgusting."

Neo briefly looked out the window to see a Beowolf emerging from one of the black pools down below before turning her gaze to the man that just spoke.

She had seen the SPARTAN-IV's when the UNSC first came, and the man looked no different, at least not that she could tell. He was clad in a steel colored MJOLNIR Second Generation Scout Armor with rust colored highlights. A small white skull was painted at the top of his helmet, while his midsection still had the letters UNSC in white, albeit slightly burnt and scarred. His most notable feature was that both of his arms were robotic, with little armor covering them.

It was clear that while the man looked like a standard UNSC SPARTAN-IV, he was in no way a SPARTAN. No augmentations and, most importantly, no energy shielding. The man had briefly explained once that his armor was basically a cheaper knock-off built from various armor and tech from a defunct secret program, something called Project Freelancer. Although, he'd explained it in a way that made him seem better than everyone and anyone else in the room.

Neo didn't like him one bit. It was obvious that the guy liked hearing himself talk, and it was grating on her nerves. Another reason, while minor, on why she needed to get out of this alliance.

"If you're quite done with complaining, mercenary, then perhaps we can start this meeting."

Both Neo and the man turned back from the window towards the long table where Watts, Tyrion, and another man named Hazel sat.

"That's part of my charm, Sherlock," the mercenary retorted. "Better start getting used to it."

Watts glared at the man while Tyrion quietly snickered at the insult. Hazel didn't flinch, remaining in his usual silent and reserved state, only speaking when necessary.

As both the mute and the mercenary approached the table, and before the doctor could speak again, the chamber doors suddenly opened, causing those sitting to rise in respect for the individual entering.

Over the years of being a mute, Neo had gotten quite good at schooling her facial expressions. After all, actions spoke louder than words. So as soon as the white-haired, red-eyed Salem entered the meeting hall, her expression was already morphed into that of a smirk, making her outward appearance unafraid.

That being said, she was inwardly absolutely scared by the Grimm Queen. She had seen first hand what she could do, other than spawning and creating many new and different forms of Grimm. There was no doubt in her mind that Salem, who was probably older than Remnant itself, could kill her without so much as lifting a finger. However, if this woman absolutely scared her, then the five massive beings following behind her downright terrified her.

She had seen Mgalekgolo, or Hunters as the UNSC called them, before, but this pair was different than their blue armored counterparts. Black armor covered their beings while still leaving some of their wormed patches exposed. They still had their massive shield arms, but the Hunters had a different weapon mounted on their right arms. Rather than the green glow of Fuel Rod Focus Cannons, these cannons glowed a pink purple-ish color, same as the visors on their wormed heads.

The other three aliens were all the same species, one she had heard of but never actually seen, not until now at least. Were it not for the armor and bladed weaponry they carried, Neo would have mistaken them for upright-walking apes or even non-Grimm versions of Beringel. Two of the Jiralhanae, "Brutes" to the rest of the Galaxy, wore blue-colored armor with gold stripes, helmets that had three horns (two on the sides and one in the front), and carried an assortment of deadly-looking weapons, ranging from two-bayoneted Type-25 Spikers to a curved, bladed, grenade-launching Type-25 Brute Shot. What stood out to her were the weapons they carried either on their backs or in their three-fingered hands: one held two three-bladed maces in both hands while the other had two curved and jagged swords resting crisscross on his back.

These two somehow terrified her more than anyone else in the room, but the third Brute, who was wearing a more "elegant" blue and gold armor set than his two subordinates, did come a close second. The armor looked older and more battle-damaged than the other two, but what really set this Brute apart from the other two was his long white beard which ended in three tails...that, and the massive Type-2 Gravity Hammer he had in his right hand had three curved blades instead of the usual one curved and jagged blade.

This particular Jiralhanae was Castor, the Dokab or leader of the Keepers. How he and the other Brutes under his command got here, Neo didn't know. She suspected that they must have found another entrance into Salem's Realm.

Speaking of Salem, the Grimm Queen continued through the Meeting Hall, passing Watts and Hazel before coming to a stop at the head of the table, where behind her chair sat the tower of purple crystals holding multiple lit candles. She stood there, staring at the crystals for a moment while Castor and his two lieutenants stood at the other head of the table. The Hunter pair didn't move, instead standing guard near the chamber doors.

For a while, other than the deep breathing of the Brutes, a tense silence fell upon the entire hall. No one dared speak, not even the talkative mercenary standing between Neo and Tyrion. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Salem finally broke the silence.

"Felix."

Beside her, Neo saw the mercenary, Felix, tense up with his left robotic hand resting on the curved handle of a deactivated Type-1 Energy Sword before letting go of it. She didn't know why he reacted that way, other than hearing from him one time that she sounded identical to someone who existed over a century before. If she didn't know any better, she would say that he looked afraid and...angry? She understood afraid, but why angry?

Salem finally turned around and faced everyone standing there, this time speaking directly to the mercenary, "Do you find it necessary to antagonize my followers?"

The Grimm Queen gestured with a wave of her hand, signaling everyone in the room to sit. Neo, Felix, and Tyrion sat down first, with Tyrion sitting cross-legged while the mercenary leaned back in his chair. Hazel then sat down, eyes closed, head bowed, and arms crossed while Watts went next and folded his hands on the table. The only one who didn't sit down was Castor as the Brute opted to stand, knowing that the chair wasn't strong enough to hold his weight.

"Just having a little fun," Felix replied before pulling out one of his throwing knives and pointing the bladed across the table at Watts. "Besides, the good ol' doc here was just telling me how pissed off he was and I thought I might lighten the mood a little. Well, except for his."

While she hated him, Neo inwardly laughed at Felix's backhanded comment while Tyrion again snickered at how the doctor was effectively thrown under the bus. Watts glared at the mercenary before turning his gaze back to Salem. "Apologies, Madame. I'm not particularly fond of failures."

Salem finally sat down, looking at Watts for a moment before speaking. "It's true that Cinder's betrayal was an unexpected setback. Still, she was able to achieve what most of us would not have been able to do alone: she became the Fall Maiden, destroyed Beacon Academy, and most importantly, killed dear Ozpin. So I'm curious, other than this setback, to what _other_ failures are you referring?"

The doctor didn't even miss a beat as he replied, "Well, the girl with the Silver Eyes, for one."

"Yes."

Everyone looked to Hazel, who hadn't spoken at all even before this meeting started. "We've dealt with her kind before. How is it possible that a novice was able to best one of us?"

"My thoughts exactly," agreed Watts. "And there's also the matter of the SPARTAN that accompanies her. Even with his newfound power, that UNSC degenerate should have been easy to defeat."

"Wrong."

That one word drew the attention of everyone to Castor as the Brute continued, "A Demon is just as dangerous as an entire battalion. It was one Demon that shattered our glorious Covenant, ended the Human-Covenant War, eradicated the Parasite, killed a Forerunner, and stopped a Promethean Uprising. We have more experience fighting their kind than you do, Human. To underestimate one is to choose death. You would be wise to remember that."

"He's right," Felix said, shocking Neo and everyone else at the table that he was being serious. "You guys should consider yourself lucky that he's passed on fifty years ago and not here still kicking ass. If the Master Chief was able to do all of that by himself, imagine what Cheznokov and his new Didact-like abilities could do. You guys would be royally and utterly fucked. Well, more so than you are now."

 _Aaaannd, back with the snark_ , thought the mute as she gazed at Watts, who looked like he was on the verge of reaching across the table and wringing his hands around the mercenary's neck. He reigned in his anger, however, before saying, "Well, maybe not the SPARTAN, but with the Maiden's power on her side, Cinder should have easily been able to kill the girl, not let her cripple her with just one gaze."

"It is _because_ of the Maiden's power," Salem clarified, causing everyone's gazes to return to her. "Make no mistake: Cinder's betrayal has cost us, and unfortunately, as long as the power resides within her, she holds the key to our victory. However, her newfound strength comes with it a crippling weakness...a weakness we can exploit.

"Which is why we must accelerate our plans if we are to achieve our victory." Salem gazed around table, and satisfied that she had everyone's undivided attention, she continued with her new orders. "Doctor Watts, you're to meet with our contact in Mistral."

"Very good," Watts affirmed.

She then ordered, "Tyrion, I want you to continue your search for the Spring Maiden."

The Scorpion Faunus chuckled maniacally before replying, "Gladly."

"Hazel, I'm sending you to the leader of the White Fang. Adam Taurus has arranged the meeting. The boy continues to prove loyal. Ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same."

"As you wish," said Hazel.

Neo didn't know if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she could have swore she saw one of Castor's lieutenants flinch when Salem mentioned Taurus. Have those two crossed paths before?

"I think we're all forgetting something fucking important here," Felix interrupted again. "The girl and the SPARTAN. If we all agree that they're a danger to us, shouldn't we go ahead and deal with them before they become more of a fucking problem?"

"Are you volunteering, mercenary? You said it yourself: the SPARTAN is dangerous. You want to get yourself killed? Be our guest! It will definitely get rid of a massive headache. As for the girl, what about her? If you want her gone, you should make it _your_ problem, not ours," Watts scoffed.

"The grownups are fucking talking, Sherlock," Felix rebutted, now thoroughly annoyed. "I fucking suggest you fucking shut your fucking mouth before I fucking come over there and fucking do it for you, you fucking fuck!"

"I would love to see you try, cretin!"

"Done!"

Both men stood up before a voice stopped them from escalating it further.

"That's enough!" Salem ordered. "Doctor, you forget your place. I suggest you be silent before you do something you will undoubtedly regret."

Watts slowly sat back down, not speaking but still glowering at the mercenary.

"As for you, Felix," the Grimm Queen continued. "You would be wise to remember who is employing you, so I suggest you stop antagonizing my subordinates."

Felix said nothing, instead twirling his knife around his fingers while sitting down, even as Salem continued, "However, you bring up an excellent point. Something must be done about those two...Tyrion?"

"Yes, Milady?"

"Spring can wait. Find the Silver Eyed girl...and bring her to me." At this point, Tyrion had been psychotically laughing at the prospect of impaling his tail through the girl and watching his venom course through her veins, only to visibly deflate at having to keep her alive before shrugging in affirmation, much to the secret relief of Neo.

Salem turned her attention back to Felix, saying, "While it would be beneficial for you to carry on this assignment, I feel your talents would be needlessly wasted on one girl. No, you would be beneficial for something more...challenging."

Felix leaned forward in his chair, now looking interested in what the Grimm Queen had in mind. "I'm listening," he replied.

Salem grinned before diverting her gaze towards the only other person in the room that hadn't spoken as much. "Castor, if you would."

"Yes, my Queen," the Brute leader bowed before giving his report. "Both projects have made excellent progress. Our first is nearly reaching its end, and due to these new revelations, I have already ordered the Unggoy and Huragok workers to accelerate their timetable. Before months end, Project: SOLACE will be complete.

"As for Project: ECLIPSE. After being allowed Grimm specimens to study, and thanks to the efforts of our lead scientist, we have made great strides in upgrading the defensive and offensive capabilities of nearly every Grimm species. With a special serum Doctor Merlot has created, Grimm such as the Nevermore and Griffon are able to operate in the vacuum of space while retaining all of their abilities, and others such as the Beowolf and Ursa have nearly double the strength and reflexes as their predecessors. Even the Death Stalkers have an increased boost to their bone armor and stingers, making every ounce of venom almost immediately fatal. All of these achievements without the need for Dust. Unfortunately, specimens such as the Beringel and Goliath have reacted negatively when injected with the serum, turning on their allies while in a chemically induced rampage, causing the deaths of many specimens and warriors under my command, and forcing us to either contain or kill them. As such, I recommend keeping the Beringel and Goliath as they are until a more proper solution can be created and implemented. However, I regret to report that our research and efforts has immediately and unexpectedly halted."

Castor paused and looked to his Queen with an apologetic look on his face, and after receiving a nod from Salem, he was about to continue when Watts butted in. "So, care to elaborate on this _failure_ to us?"

Watts immediately regretted talking as the Dokab and his lieutenants looked to him and growled menacingly. Even the Hunter pair near the doors let out a low rumble that was felt by everyone in the room, causing an involuntary chill to run down Neo's spine and for Felix to rest his hand on the handle of his Energy Sword.

Castor glared at the doctor for a long moment before calming himself and turning his attention back to Salem, continuing, "We lost contact with our main research outpost less than a unit ago. At first, I thought about waiting for them to respond while contacting the Fleet of Sacred Consecration stationed there, believing to be some sort of interference. But every ship in the fleet has not reported in either. It is not just them. As far as I can tell, the entire system has gone dark."

"Is it possible either the UNSC or the Sangheili Federation may have found the station?" Hazel asked in genuine curiosity.

"Doubtful," the Dokab responded in disagreement. "I made certain that they would never find the station, ordering all ships transferring Grimm and equipment between here and there to make random slipspace jumps in order to throw off any would-be followers before continuing on with their runs, just as the Humans did during our war with them. No, something else is happening.

"Which is where you come in, False Demon," Castor said, addressing Felix. "Find out what is happening, extract Doctor Merlot and his research, and purge the database. If you afterwards deem that the station is lost, destroy it. We cannot let anyone else know what our plans are."

"How would I destroy it?" Felix asked.

"As luck would have it, my followers had recently found a special ship that the UNSC had decommissioned many solar cycles ago and brought it back to near perfect condition. I believe you will find this ship to be more than adequate to your needs."

"Okay, but I'm sensing some sort of catch here."

"While we do not question your abilities, Felix," Salem picked up, "this will not be something you will do alone. As such, I've decided that Miss Politan will accompany you on this mission. As a test to see how well she does working with a new partner."

While still having that outward carefree appearance, inside, Neo was stunned. She was absolutely ecstatic...and horrified all at the same time. Ecstatic, because here she was, thinking of a way to escape all of this, and Salem unknowingly gives her a way out. At long last, freedom was on the horizon.

Horrified, because she now had to think of a way to escape Felix's watchful eye. It didn't take long for her to come up with a solution: as soon as they were on the station, she would quietly slip away, find a way to download all the information on it, make contact with either the UNSC or the Sangheili Federation, and give the information to them in exchange for a safe haven. She just needed to find the right moment.

She looked up to the mercenary and gave him a cocky smirk, causing Felix to snort in amusement and say, "Guess it's time to see what makes you tick."

Neo was revolted, but she didn't break the smirk as the mercenary turned back to Castor and asked, "What's the pay?"

"Four million credits. You get two million now. The rest when you return." Castor then grinned and added, "And if you manage to recover Doctor Merlot alive, your pay will double."

Neo was sure Felix was smiling behind his black visor as he replied, "Deal."

Salem grinned at the exchange before addressed the entire room again. "Because of your efforts, Beacon has fallen...and Haven will be next."

Rising from their seats, all but Felix bowed towards the Grimm Queen, signaling the end of the meeting. As everyone filed out of the Hall, Tyrion laughing psychotically all the while, Neo rushed off to her quarters, grabbed her umbrella/sword, and rushed off towards the landing pad where a fully slipspace-capable Type-56 Lich was waiting.

 _Freedom, here I come_ , Neo thought as she boarded the ship, not noticing two certain Brute lieutenants staring at her from afar with suspicion in their eyes.

* * *

 **A Few Minutes Later**

As the pair watched the Lich disappear through a slipspace portal, one of the Jiralhanae closed his communication with the mercenary and turned towards the other saying, "The new orders have been issued. That girl will meet her demise on the station."

"This is an unnecessary risk, Traxus," the other warned. "Trusting a mercenary with this information? What's to say he won't take the money and sell it?"

"He'd be a fool to refuse," Traxus rebutted. "Besides, the amount of credits I'm offering is too good to pass up."

"Let me guess. Triple?"

"Squared."

The other lieutenant sighed, causing Traxus to bark out a laugh as he turned and headed towards the construction site. "Relax, Taurus! You worry to much!"

He didn't get far before he was grabbed and forcibly turned towards Taurus, his brother replying, "Yes, for good reason! We have been out of contact with Decimus for eight months! No doubt Atriox has declared us traitors by now!" He lowered his voice, "Even if we succeed in killing Castor and ending the Keepers, Atriox is still out there somewhere, more than likely searching every corner of the Galaxy for us. And if he finds us...it will be _both_ our skulls beneath his mace!"

Both Blood Brothers stared at each other for a long moment before Traxus smirked, putting a hand on Taurus's shoulder. "Do not worry, brother. When the time comes, we will slay Castor and decimate the Keepers. And once we have Merlot and his serum in our possession, our empire will rise in our image...and not even Atriox will be able to stop us."

Traxus let go of his brother's shoulder and continued on towards the construction site. Taurus trailed behind a moment later, letting our a breath of air before replying, "I pray that you are right, Traxus...for both our sakes."

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

 **152 Years After Battle of Shield World 0459**

 **February 6, 2683**

 ** _Phoenix_ -class Support Carrier, UNSC _Spirit of Fire_**

 _"Captain, wake up. Something has happened. The Spirit of Fire is in the situation I...could not anticipate. I'm certain Professor Anders would enjoy that little admission, so let's keep between us, shall we? We've been adrift for just over one-hundred-fifty-two years. I've made quite a few repairs while you were sleeping, so the ship systems are at one hundred percent. Cryo worked well and medstats on all remaining crew are green. As for me, well...regulations are clear about final dispensation at the end of an AI's seven year lifespan. I took care of my own arrangements rather than wake you, and hope you can forgive on this final breach of conduct. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve with you, sir. Do look after everyone for me, would you?_

 _"Goodbye, Captain. Serina out."_

The recording ended, and Captain James Cutter was left to process what he just heard as the elevator descended towards the observation deck. He couldn't believe it. A century and a half? They've been drifting for that long? Somebody should have found them by now.

But then again, after this many years, maybe there was no one left to find them. When they left Arcadia, the war hadn't been going well for the UNSC. For all he knew, everyone back home was gone, humanity was gone, their war was gone. They were probably the only ones left. And that truly scared him.

And Serina. She had been with them since the beginning, looked after them like family. And now, she was gone too. Another crew member...no, another friend and family member, gone...just like Forge.

As the elevator neared its destination, Cutter swallowed down his grief. He needed to be strong, for his crew, for his friends...for his family. He could mourn later. Right now, there was work that needed to be done.

The doors opened, and Cutter entered the observation deck, where Professor Ellen Anders was already awake and walking around very quickly.

"I'll need to get down there," Anders stated, foregoing a greeting. "Immediately, of course."

The old Captain smirked as passed her. Even after a century and half, some things never changed. "Good morning to you too, Professor."

Anders smiled and laughed lightly, realizing her mistake. "Sorry, Captain. It's good to see you too," she said genuinely. "But...just, look at it."

Cutter followed her gaze towards the glass floor, where through it he could see why everyone had woken up: a massive Forerunner installation, with eight curved arms (four large ones and four smaller ones) and multiple landmasses and oceans spreading across in eight directions, and holding what looked like mostly-mined moon or planetoid in the center, floated just below them, reaching an astonishing and staggering length of over a hundred and twenty-seven thousand kilometers. It was easily bigger than anything anyone on the entire ship had ever seen, possibly even bigger than the Shield World.

Cutter stared at the installation in awed wonder before snapping out of his stupor and looking at the Professor. "What is it?" he asked. "And where are we?"

Anders stared at the Forerunner structure a little bit longer than the Captain before snapping out of it herself and replying, "No idea."

She then went to the central holotable, Cutter himself walking up to it as well, and brought up several holograms of various astronavigation data. She continued, "Our astronavigation can't pinpoint a location. We're not on the map anymore."

For some reason, this didn't sit right with Cutter. "We didn't drift out of the Galaxy in a hundred and fifty-two years, Professor." Going on a whim, he decided to bring up the _Spirit's_ sensor records. A holographic representation of them popped up, and what he saw confirmed his suspicions. "Sensor records show we arrived via slipspace less than an hour ago?"

Anders answered his unspoken question, bringing another representation, this time of the ships missing slipspace drive. "Our slipspace drive is gone. However we got here, it wasn't us who initiated the trip." The Professor then brought up a hologram of the Forerunner structure, immediately zeroing on a specific location. "Someone or something down there must have opened the portal from this end and pulled us in."

It made sense, but still didn't explain why. Before Cutter could ask that question though, the ship's comms system came to life. "Bridge to Captain Cutter. We've received a signal from the surface. It's UNSC!"

That stunned Cutter, and brought hope to his eyes. Maybe they weren't the only ones after all! He ordered, "Signal to my location, Lieutenant. Let's here what they have to say."

"I'm sorry, Captain. I can't play it for you, sir. The message has an encryption scheme we haven't seen before," finished the lieutenant. A visual representation of the message popped on the holotable. Cutter stared at the hologram, his tactical mind already in overdrive.

"Security measures would advance without us," he mused, "but it's coming through on a UNSC frequency...this is good. When we left, the war wasn't going well. This signal means the UNSC is still fighting. Or maybe we even won." As Cutter thought more, the latter option was becoming more and more believable than the former. The UNSC didn't have the means to fight this war for more than thirty years, let alone over a hundred. That meant something must have happened that turned the war to the UNSC's favor. The question was, what happened? Deciding to think on this later, Cutter turned towards Anders and asked, "What's the source of the transmission?"

Anders in return brought up another hologram of installation and studied it for a moment. Frustrated, she stated, "We don't have the surface details yet, sir. Something down there is blocking our scans and without Serina..." She clammed up. Out of the corner of his eye, Cutter saw Anders trying to hold back the grief that was threatening to break free. She did manage to swallow most it down, but her voice still broke slightly as she continued, albeit hesitantly, "But we...do have a rough location."

The Professor then brought up the triangulation, highlighting the area in yellow. She followed up, "Should be simple enough to triangulate once we pick up the signal from the ground."

Cutter nodded before contacting the one person he believed was more than suited for the mission. "Cutter to Jerome."

The voice of Senior Chief Petty Officer Jerome-092 filled the room as he answered, "Reporting, Captain."

"Prep SPARTAN Red Team and a small recon squad. Professor Anders will send you the coordinates." After confirming Anders had sent them, her ordered, "Find out who's sending that signal. Be on the ground within the hour, travel light."

"Roger that, Captain," the SPARTAN-II replied. "Recon only."

Satisfied, the Captain closed communications and looked to Anders, an unspoken question flashing between them. She nodded, reassuring him she was alright, returning to her work. Before he left, Cutter took one last look at the Forerunner installation below them, saying one last thing:

"A hundred and fifty-two years, Professor...let's see what kind of Galaxy we woke up to."

* * *

 _ **Finally, I had time to get this chapter finished. Not gonna lie, listening to Unlimited by JT Music on YouTube was a great motivator for me. That song is badass.**_

 _ **And yes, you read that right. Not only does Salem have new allies in the forms of Castor and Felix, but the Blood Brothers are scheming a takeover as well. Neo is having a change of heart, and the Halo Wars 2 base storyline officially begins.**_

 _ **All of this was definitely planned from the beginning. And you already know that if I'm gonna add Felix, then I'm definitely gonna add the Blood Gulch Crew as well. You won't have to wait for that much longer, since next chapter, they'll be appearing alongside our main characters: Battlegroup Arcadia and Fireteam Torrent. In a way I'm sure most fans of Red vs Blue will find very familiar.**_

 _ **By the way, I consider these two chapters to be prologues setting up the first arc. That officially begins next chapter.**_

 _ **TallYapflip has stated in his new chapter that next chapter will be the end of Act II. I'll be making sure Act III starts off with a bang. This war is only just beginning.**_

 _ **Also, points and imaginary cookies to anyone who can guess what Castor's two projects are referring to.**_

 _ **Next time, Chapter 3 - That Old Familiar Feeling**_

 _ **And to the reviewer asking about the Master Chief, hopefully this chapter answers your question.**_

 ** _Raptor out!_**


	4. I Know You (Banishment Official Trailer)

**_Okay, third chapter's taking me longer to write due to my vacation ending and me starting work again. So, here's something to get you hyped: The First Official Trailer for Roses Born of Dust: Banishment, inspired by the Halo Wars 2 E3 2016 Trailer!_**

* * *

Three figures are seen walking through a battlefield littered with wreckage and rubble. Running past them are a mixture of UNSC and Atlesian soldiers, armed with a variety of weapons. One of them brings up an old BR55 Battle Rifle to eye level while everyone ducks into cover. A moment later, a soldier with an MA37 Assault Rifle gives the all-clear, and everyone starts moving forward.

Suddenly, one of the UNSC Marines lets out a scream as a wall beside him explodes, sending the poor soul's body back as a Beringel Grimm materializes out of the debris. An Atlesian soldier armed with a Dust powered Pulse Rifle takes aim and fires at the monster, only for him and the stone pillar beside him to be smashed aside by a Jiralhanae Warlord wielding a Type-2 Gravity Hammer.

 _I know you_

 _We've been here before_

Time slows as Neo Politan appears, walking past the chaos as she stares directly ahead of her, an anxious but determined look etched on her face.

 _No surprises_

 _A settled score_

Behind her, an M12B FAV Warthog, manned by Colonel Sarge riding shotgun, Captain Simmons on the turret, and Captain Grif driving, slides into view. Time speeds back up as Simmons fires at a target farther away. The high calibre rounds shred through a Beowolf as, beside it, another Banished Warlord smashes his Gravity Hammer down upon a poor Marine's body. As the Reds' Warthog roars past, the Warlord looks up from his kill, just in time to be run over by a Type-25 Brute Chopper operated by Jiralhanae Allied Chieftain Marcannus.

 _I know the Darkness_

 _From inside_

Just ahead of Marcannus, a Type-46 Spectre and a Type-52 Brute Prowler, manned by Federation Sangheili and Allied Jiralhanae respectively, drift into view. The Spectre is quickly destroyed, killing the occupants. Up ahead, the culprit is revealed to be a Banished Blisterback. Deactivating its flight mode and landing on all six legs, the carapace opens up, and the Blisterback launches its payload. The long range Annihilator siege missiles scream towards the targets.

 _Reckless rage_

 _And poisoned pride_

Time stops, and the Annihilators freeze in place between another Blisterback and a Death Stalker. Another figure is revealed, this one being Salem. The Grimm Queen walks toward the battlefield, momentarily brushing her hand on the Scorpion Grimm's massive claw.

Time resumes, and one of the Annihilators hits the Brute Prowler, causing the vehicle to explode and roll backwards, killing the four Allied Jiralhanae in the process. A second later, three mechs, a Grunt Goblin piloted by the Spec Ops Unggoy Jayak, a UNSC Cyclops modified with dual M7057 Flamethrowers and worn by Lieutenant Colonel Morgan Kinsano, and an Atlesian Paladin Mark II, run foward, firing their respective weapons. Three individuals, Lopez the Heavy and Captain Donut of the Reds, and Doc/O'Mally sporting an M41 Rocket Launcher, sprint ahead of the mechs.

Time slows again as SPARTAN-IV and leader of Fireteam Torrent Commander Scott Dunn, clad in Pepper Black and Vermillion Red colored Venator MJOLNIR Genaration II armor, strolls past them, clutching a pair of dog tags in his right hand and a blood red colored Type-1 Energy Sword in his left. The Hyper Lethal Vector stares at the tags for a long moment before turning his gaze upward.

 _I know the Weakness_

 _I know the pain_

High above the war-torn battlefield, three ships, the _Autumn_ -class Heavy Cruiser _Autumn's Wrath_ , the _ORS_ -class Heavy Cruiser _Blight of the Profane_ , and the _Phoenix_ -class Support Carrier _Spirit of Fire_ , hover while they release hundreds of ODST, Sangheili, and Jiralhanae Drop Pods. One Sangheili Drop Pod spears through a Death Stalker while an ODST Drop Pod slams into a Blisterback, both sending debris and chunks of Grimm meat everywhere.

 _I know the fear_

 _We do not make_

Time slows as one of the Blood Brother, Traxus, walks through the explosions, unsheathing both of his jagged and curved swords while Felix runs past him.

Time resumes as both an ODST and a Jiralhanae Allied Ranger jump out of their respective pods. Running past them are Colonel Ivan Cheznokov, Lieutenant Winter Schnee, Team RWBY, the rest of Fireteam Torrent (Locus, Sangheili Zealot Rala 'Vadam, and T'vaoan Ranger Seth Zar), Captain Caboose holding his MA5D Assault Rifle Freckles, Captain Tucker wielding his Energy Sword, former Agents Washington and Carolina of Project Freelancer, and SPARTAN-II Red Team consisting of Jerome-092, Alice-130, and Douglas-042.

 _And the one who comes to find me_

The SPARTANs sprint ahead, passing the Warmaster of the Banished Atriox as he stops walking and rests his Energy Mace _Chainbreaker_ upon his shoulder, with the faint visage of a Banished Scarab looming behind him.

 _When my time is through_

Coming to a stop as well, Captain James Cutter crosses his arms and stares at his opponent as a Federation Type-47B Deutoros Scarab drops in from low orbit and lands behind him.

All six figures are now revealed to be staring at each other, with Salem, Atriox, and Traxus standing next to each other on the left, and Neo, Cutter, and Scott beside each other on the right.

 _Oh, I know you_

 _Yeah, I know you_

Both armies soon meet, and time slows one more time as everything pans out, showing the full scale of the battle. The battlefield is soon revealed to be among the wreckage of a downed _CAS_ -class Assault Carrier, the _Enduring Conviction_. Just above it hangs Remnant's Shattered Moon. Directly beside it, just barely visible behind the clouds, a Halo Installation looms ominously overhead.

 _Remnant's Final Battle Begins_

 **Roses Born of Dust: Banishment**


End file.
